CHICKASAW, Alabama – Chickasaw High hopes to have a new football coach officially hired by early next month.

Chickasaw City Schools Superintendent Kyle Kallhoff told AL.com on Monday morning that principal Brent Ward has given him a name which Kallhoff plans to present for Board approval at the next scheduled meeting on May 8.

Kallhoff did not release the name of the prospective new coach, but said he was chosen by a committee from more than 90 inquiries.

“I’m very excited,” Kallhoff said. “We’ve got some good kids here. We’ve got good athletes, but the No. 1 thing is academics. We want to make sure our athletes are great in the classroom and on the field. We think Chickasaw is a magnet for greatness.”

Kallhoff said the school received resumes from across the Southeast and many from current head coaches.

“The committee went through every resume, and I think they interviewed like 12 candidates,” he said. “We are excited about the coach who was selected. Hopefully, we’ll get board approval and move forward from there.”

Kallhoff said the team pushed the start of its scheduled spring training back from April 24 to May 1 to accommodate the coaching change. Though the new coach won’t have been approved by then, Kallhoff hopes some of his assistants will be in place for the start.

He said he doesn’t feel the team has missed a beat despite doing nearly two months without a head coach.

“Mr. Ward challenges those kids,” he said. “Coach (Ricky) Ruffin, who serves as co-athletic director and coaches our basketball team, has been there helping. The kids have been in the weight room. I don’t think it will be a problem. If we had been in our third year competing, then yes. I would think we would be behind the eight-ball. At this point, I don’t think we will be at a disadvantage at all.”

Kallhoff said the coach he will recommend for approval has head coaching experience and experience coaching in this state.

The Chieftains are members of Class 1A, Region 1. Their first game is scheduled for Aug. 22 against Flomaton.